From canned wine and alcohol-free fizz to English red wine, our editor joined the boys on Bottoms Up to explore drinks that are better for us, better for the planet, or both.
Before filming, I was given one instruction: keep the boys in check. Apparently, they had important meetings afterwards, which meant they couldn’t drink all the wine. So I had to be a bit of a grinch. I didn’t particularly enjoy the responsibility, and Roxanne had to stay at home (watch the “x-rated” episode from 20th March to understand this).
Still, the boys were as silly as ever.
We covered a lot of ground, from the environmental impact of wine packaging and the importance of recycling properly to the challenges facing British vineyards. And, for reasons I’m still not entirely sure of, VAT came up rather a lot.
Here’s what we drank, and some of what we discussed along the way.
We started with rosé from Laylo, a company making a case for better-quality boxed and canned wine.
The rosé wasn’t quite to the boys’ tastes (despite Alan and the rosé sharing the same stylist), so we moved on to the Malbec instead, which went down much better.
Beyond what’s inside, canned wine raises an interesting question about how much packaging we really need. Glass is recyclable, but it’s also heavy and energy-intensive to manufacture and transport. Aluminium cans can have a considerably smaller carbon footprint, particularly for single servings and drinking on the move, although their environmental impact also depends on how they’re produced and recycled.
Noughty Alcohol-Free Sparkling Chardonnay
Next was Noughty’s alcohol-free sparkling Chardonnay, made for people who want the experience of a glass of fizz without the alcohol.
Alcohol-free wine has come a long way, although recreating the taste and texture of conventional wine remains a challenge. Alcohol contributes more than just warmth: it affects body, flavour and the way a wine feels in your mouth.
I think sparkling alcohol-free wines have a bit of an advantage here. The bubbles bring an extra dimension of texture and sensation that can help compensate for the missing alcohol.
Noughty is one of the brands trying to close that gap, using dealcoholised wine – essentially, they make a conventional wine and then remove the alcohol – rather than simply creating a sparkling grape drink.
Considering the work that goes into making it, I think this is a bargain at around a tenner. And importantly, it’s not sweet.
Our next wine was a Primitivo from When in Rome, another company challenging traditional wine packaging. This one comes in what is essentially a bag-in-box, but shaped like a cardboard bottle.
Unfortunately, the example we tasted was oxidised.
I had an inkling something wasn’t quite right when I poured it. The colour was browner than I’d expect from a young red wine, and the taste confirmed my suspicions.
Oxidation is one of the most common wine faults, occurring when wine is exposed to too much oxygen. It can cause fresh fruit flavours to disappear, leaving a wine tasting flat, tired or, in more pronounced cases, reminiscent of bruised apples, vinegar or Sherry – actually a note Alan picked up on.
Another common fault is cork taint, most often associated with a compound called TCA. Despite its name, cork taint isn’t exclusive to bottles sealed with natural cork. TCA can also affect wines under screwcap (although it’s rare) as contamination can originate from materials or the winery environment.
It’s worth making the distinction because a faulty bottle doesn’t necessarily mean a bad wine. Sometimes, something has simply gone wrong between production and pouring.
Mallard Point Crossing Lines Cabernet Jura
Finally, we turned to something closer to home: Cabernet Jura from Mallard Point, a vineyard and distillery in Rutland. And the boys loved it.
The wine comes in a swing-top bottle designed to be returned and reused. There’s even a prepaid return label, so you can send the empty bottle back in its original packaging.
Cabernet Jura is a disease-resistant grape variety, part of a wider group of grapes attracting attention as growers look for ways to reduce vineyard treatments and adapt to changing growing conditions. It has Cabernet Sauvignon in its parentage, something Lee picked up on when tasting.
That disease resistance makes it particularly interesting in Britain, where the relatively cool, damp climate can create challenges for growing grapes. At 12% ABV, it was also a reminder that red wines don’t need to be particularly high in alcohol to deliver flavour and character.
It brought us neatly onto the future of British wine. Despite the industry’s growth, vineyards face considerable financial pressures, and I mentioned the Back British Vineyards campaign, which is calling for tax relief for smaller British wine producers.
The proposal would effectively allow qualifying producers to reclaim some of the duty paid on their wine, up to a certain production threshold, helping smaller vineyards reinvest in their businesses.
Recycling, glass and the bigger picture
One of the recurring themes of the episode was that making more sustainable choices isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds.
Take recycling. Putting the wrong materials into a recycling collection can contaminate the load, potentially making the process more difficult and expensive. Good intentions aren’t always enough: knowing what your local council actually accepts matters.
We also discussed the pressures facing glass production and supply. Although glass can be recycled repeatedly without losing quality, manufacturing new glass requires considerable energy and raw materials. Recycling helps, but reducing the amount of packaging we use in the first place can make an even bigger difference.
And then there was VAT. Quite a lot of VAT.
Ultimately, drinking better doesn’t have to mean giving up everything you enjoy. It might mean choosing a lighter package, trying a wine from a producer working differently in the vineyard, supporting British growers or occasionally swapping your usual glass for something alcohol-free.
Small choices won’t solve every problem facing the drinks industry, but understanding what goes into our glasses is a good place to start.
Watch the full episode of Bottoms Up here: YouTube Spotify
For more drinks worth discovering, explore Slake’s Our Picks and Guides, where we look at what to drink, why it matters and the stories behind it.